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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chest — a box
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a great time
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. drill — army training
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com